Brno

Brno lies in the central part of Europe, in the Czech Republic of which it is the second largest city. At the same time, Brno represents the centre of the province of Moravia, one of the historic lands of the Czech Crown. It is situated at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, which have joined the North and South European civilizations for centuries. Brno is situated in a picturesque countryside, surrounded on three sides by wooded hills and opening to the Southern Moravian lowlands to the south of the city. In the north, the city is guarded by the foothills of the Drahany and Bohemian-Moravian ranges. Brno itself lies in the basin of the Svratka and Svitava rivers, somewhat to the north of their conflux at elevations ranging from 190 to 425 meters (620 to 1395 ft) above sea level and, covers an area of 230 km2 (143 sq.miles).

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From east to west, the city of Brno spans about 22 km (13 miles). The river Svratka cuts a 29 km (17 mile) path through the city and is the main supply for the Kninicky Dam Lake, a popular recreation area in the city's northwest corner. The Svitava River flows through the city for about 13 km (8 miles).

Brno Reservoir (Brněnská přehrada)

Brno reservoir was built on the river Svratka in 1938-1941 to prevent floods. This natural lake is about 10 km long, up to 800 metres wide here and there, with the volume of 25 million cubic metres of water. The Brno reservoir is a popular holiday resort with shipping traffic and sports fields. It is popular not only with the devotees to water sports and lazing in the sun, but also with those who like strolling around the forests on the right bank or feel like visiting the Veveří castle which has been re-opened to the public lately.

Mahen Theatre (Mahenovo divadlo)

The Mahen theatre was built from July 1881 to October 1882 according to the design of the Viennese architects F. Fellner and H. Hellmer with sculptures by T. Friedl. It was the first theatre in Central Europe to be illuminated with Edison's light bulbs.

Freedom Square (Náměstí Svobody)

is one of the most imposing squares in the historical city centre of Brno. In the past it was called Dolní rynek (Lower Market), and in medieval times was surrounded by houses owned by important burghers and Moravian noblemen, who built palaces for their use when they were in Brno (for example during regional assemblies and courts, visits by the ruler, and on other such occasions).

Old Town Hall (Stará radnice)

The city administration was situated in this, the oldest secular building in Brno until 1935. The historical origins of the building go back to around 1240. Before 1510 the tower entrance was hoded-through to the courtyard which A. Pilgram decorated with a stone protal with reliefs of heralds and town dwellers. The original allegory of justice was replaced in 1660 by the present statue. At that time, Brno's new coat of arms was added to the portal, which Brno acquired in 1646. The portal closes the original Late-Gothic gate. The tower lies on early Gothic foundations, its roofing is a copy of the original renaissance roof. The town hall building was damaged during the Swedish wars and its repair, completed in 1660, was accredited to the Brno architect Jan Křtitel Erna.

New Town Hall (Nová radnice)

The original building of the Moravian provincial self-government was where the provincial assemblies and courts held session. The building complex, whose front is situated in Dominican square, began to be used as the New Town hall after the final reconstruction in 1934-35. It was due to its previous commendable function as the administration of Brno that this site was chosen.

Tugendhat Villa

Tugendhat Villa Architecture was characterised by the opening of new roads of creative thought in the 1920s, which reflected the avant-garde trends that were searching for an image of life after the First World War. The designs for the glass skyscrapers by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1919-1922 broke the traditional forms of enclosed spaces with their transparent walls and open-plan floor spaces, which have made possible new and progressive technology for the manufacture of glass, steel and ferro-concrete.

Motor-racing Circuit

Masaryk's circuit with the tradion of more than 70 years makes Brno an important place in the word of motorcycling. In 1965 the name of Masaryk's circuit registered for the first time in the Road Motorcycles World Championship Calendar and ever since that time it has been appearing in this calendar with iron regularity, mainly due to the high level and professionality of the races.